The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for information processing and a program storage medium. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and an apparatus for information processing whereby a GPS device stores position and time information which may later be used by a personal computer or the like to determine during image data editing where and when the images were captured, and a program storage medium for storing such a method.
Recent years have seen the widespread acceptance of apparatuses for capturing, storing and processing images through the use of digital technology. Generally, images such as those taken by digital camera are later arranged by date, grouped into predetermined categories or otherwise sorted out by users. Such follow-up classification of images requires information about where and when the images were captured.
The need for image-classifying information is met illustratively by methods for associating data representing images taken by digital camera or by other means with data about where and when the image data were acquired. One such method, proposed by Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 10-2333985, utilizes a digital camera and a GPS (Global Positioning System) device to obtain (i.e., store) positions at which images were captured. According to this method, the GPS device is connected to the digital camera so that position information acquired by the GPS device is stored in association with the image data taken by camera.
Digital cameras connectable to or incorporating a GPS device are capable of associating image data with position data indicating where the images were captured. If a digital camera has no such function, there is no way for the camera to determine image capture positions.
The method disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei 10-2333985 involves connecting a digital camera with a GPS device. That means one disadvantage of the disclosed method is that only the type of digital camera capable of connecting to a GPS device can be used. Another disadvantage is that where a GPS device is incorporated into a digital camera, the combined setup tends to become bulky.